‘Stranger Things’ Star Reveals Why He Took a Hiatus From Acting

“Stranger Things” star Dacre Montgomery is opening up about why he took a break from acting after achieving success on the show. The actor, who played Billy Hargrove in seasons 2, 3, and 4 of the hit Netflix series called the experience “overwhelming.”

“I think with ‘Stranger Things’ — as any big show on Netflix — it’s kind of like you lose your anonymity overnight,” he shared with People. But he wasn’t ungrateful. “It was amazing … I felt really lucky and really fortunate to have that opportunity,” Montgomery said.

But the mainstream success of “Stranger Things” was not aligned with Montgomery’s career goals. “I was really being pushed in a commercial direction,” he explained. “I grew up really wanting to work with all tour directors on arthouse films and really explore how far I can push myself in terms of character development and really, really fall in love with stories.”

Montgomery Wanted to Reevaluate His Career

Getty

In order to steer his career in the direction he wanted, Montgomery stepped away from acting for a while. He told People it took between five and six years to be in a position that felt right for him to return.

“That sort of stuff takes time to kind of reverse engineer a career that’s going one way into a different direction,” Montgomery said. “It takes time, and I can’t just generate a story, an amazing story [and] an amazing director in front of my eyes.”

The Australian actor appeared in the film “Elvis” in 2022, the same year he made his final appearance as Billy on “Stranger Things.” Years later he returned to the big screen in the indie film “Went Up the Hill,” which premiered in the U.S. on August 15.

The film delves into some heavy themes, which was why Montgomery was drawn to it. “There’s a very important message at the end of the film which is about breaking free of of this toxic cycle of abuse,” he shared with The Film Collective.

What’s Next for Dacre Montgomery?

Since is acting hiatus, Montgomery continues to push himself creatively and explore new projects. His next role will be behind the camera for his directorial debut.

“I’m directing my first film in a couple of months,” he revealed, adding, “After ‘Went Up the Hill’ I feel like anything’s possible.”

As for the upcoming final season of “Stranger Things,” the actor, who will likely not reprise his role, is enthusiastic. “I’m excited for the creators, the Duffer brothers, for ‘Stranger Things’ to be over so they can do all these other amazing ideas that I know that they have,” Montgomery shared with The Film Collective.